gillette



(No Model.)

G. H. GILLETTE.

KEG 0R BARREL. No. 330,012. Q vlhnted Nov. 1o, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

GEORGE H. GILLETTE, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

KEG OR BARREL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,012l dated November 10,1885.

Application filed June G, 1884. Renewed June 23, 1885. Serial No. 169,570.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE II. GILLETTE, of the city of New York, in the county and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Kegs and Barrels, of which the following is such a full, clear, exact, and concise description as will enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of kegs and barrels in the use of which it is necessary or desirablethat the interior part or surface should be of wood or some material which will not impart any bad taste to the liquids which they are made to contain, or which, if liable to have any deleterious effect upon the same, is adapted to receive a coating-as of pitch, for instance-on its inside, or be otherwise properly treated.

The use of wooden kegs and barrels in certain industries, particularly the beer business, has heretofore been regarded as indispensable, and while their use in that business has been almost universal it has been owing not so much to the desirability of kegs and barrels made entirely of wood as to the want of kegs or barrels which, while possessing` all the desirable properties of wooden kegs, would be free from the objections attending their use. This is evident from the fact that while brewers in all parts of the country have continuously used wooden kegs for many years they have done so at a large expense for cooperage, repairs, and the cost of new kegs to replace those which have been stolen and used as fuel, as well as those which have been broken up or otherwise destroyed, and from the further fact that the complaints of brewers at this expense, as well as the annoyance and inconvenience occasioned by the use of wooden kegs as heretofore constructed, have been very general.

The principal objects of my invention are to obviate the obj ections that have hitherto been experienced in the use of wooden kegs, and to provide kegs and barrels which, while possessing all the desirable properties of wooden kegs or barrels, will be so protected as to suffer little or no damage during their use, and

(No model.)

In order to accomplish these objects my invention consists in providing a suitable covering of metal, which is adapted to be used over any ordinary keg or barrel; and, further, in making a keg or barrel the inner portion whereof is of wood or like material, while the outer part is of metal stamped up or wrought into shape conforming to the contour of the inner portion, and which may be secured or lixed thereon, the preferable modes of constructing such kegs or barrels being hereinafter more fully explained.

In the drawings, Figures l, 2, and 3 are sectional views of a keg cut lengthwise through the center. A represents in each ligure an outer portion of metal, and B an inner portion 7o of wood, while c and d indicate, respectively, portions of the bung and tap holes and their bushings. rIhese several figures are intended to show the most important variations in the manner of joining, uniting, or securing the,7 5

metal cover or part over and to the inner portion.

In Fig. 1, which I regard as the preferable form, the metal is shown as forming a continuous or unbroken surface, which in practice 8o is accomplished by having one part overlap a depressed portion of the other part and joining or uniting them together. In Fig. 2 one portion of the metal is shown as overlapping the other, such portion being sufficiently raised 8 5 for the purpose, and in Fig. 3 the sections of metal are shown as being made to meet and as secured by a hoop or collar.

In order to bring the metal into the proper form for use in the construction of a barrel or 9o keg, or to act as a covering for the same, it should be stamped, spun,turned,cast,rolled, or otherwise worked into parts of the requisite shapes, so thatwhen they are placed over the keg or inner portion and joined together they will conform to the contour of the entire outer surface of such inner portion; but stamping up the metal is probably the most practical and easy way of bringing the parts into the required shapes, as the irregular portions can loo be formed very readily in thisway, besides which the metal is strengthened by the stamping. To thus form the parts I take blanks of sheet metal, and by suitable dies stamp them up, preferably in two sections, each of which is a little longer than half of the keg or barrel,but conforming to the contour of the head, chines, and that portion ofthe bilge or body which they are respectively intended to cover. I find it desirable to make a depression or neck on that part or section which is made to be first put on or over the inner portion, havinga depth of about the thickness of the metal, and extending for a distance of, say, two or three inches along 'and entirely around what will be the central or bilged part of the keg, and such depressed portion or neck may, if desired, be slitted, so as to facilitate its passage over the inner portion. This depression will allow of the overlapping of so much of the other section or metal part, which is of course made to conform to it, so as to produce a sufliciently good fit, and this will give,when such sections or parts are fitted over the keg or inner portion, a joint all around the keg or barrel at the point from which this neck or depression proceeds. This 4 joint, being on the outside, will admit of soldering the two parts together, thus insuring a perfect union, as well as giving to the metal casing or cover the appearance of a continuous or unbroken surface, particularly so if the metal be galvanized or painted after the keg 'or barrel is covered or completed.

In construct-ing a keg or barrel of which the metal portion is to form an integrant part, I make the inner portion of wood, papier-mache, molded vegetable fiber, or other suitable material of like nature, and which will not of itself have any deleterious effect upon the liquids to be contained in such keg or barrel, or `which, if liable to have any deleterious effect upon the saine, is adapted to receive a treatment which will prevent it, as, for example, being pitched-but preferably of wood, owing to its cheapness and the fact that it is the material most desired.

In making the inner portion of a keg or barrel of wood the staves, head, Ste., are formed in the usual manner, but they need not be so thick or heavy. The bung and tap holes should be made in their proper places, and when such keg or barrel is made to receive an outer metal part or covering, as shown in Fig. l, where there is a depression, a, in a part of the metal, which in that case is shown as coming about the center of the keg, it will be found best to adapt that part of the wood which comes beneath such depression to the reception of the metal by making it conform to the desired shape, and, of course, what is lost in the strength of the wood is more than compensated for by the extra strength of the metal.

When the wood is prepared, it may be placed in a form and retained in shape while the metal part or covering is being placed over it. Before placing themetal covering on, however, it Will be found desirable to expand it by heating sufficiently to allow it to pass over the wooden part easily, the greatest amount of expansion of that piece which goes on first being at the neck or depression, more especially if the same is not slitted. The wood being held in shape, this part of the metal covering may then be put on, the openings for the bung and tap holes, if already formed, being brought so as to coincide with those in the wood, and after being so placed on the metal may be shrunk tightly to the wooden surface over which it extends. In like manner the other -metal part of the covering may be expanded suffi-` ciently and passed over the other end of the keg, overlapping the depressed metal part of l j the first half, and afterward shrunk. The two metal parts are of course joined or united closely together, so that the metal completely covers lall portions of the wood, and the openings in the wood and metal together form the bung and tap holes, respectively. The joint between the two pieces of metal may be soldered all around the keg, so as to make it perfectly tight, and additional security and tightness of the metal parts, as well as the union between the metal and the wood will be insured by the insertion of the bushings, which will bring them more closely in contact with each other, and prevent any chance of their being broken apart in handling. When the keg is thus completed, it may be galvanized or painted a proper color with imitation hoops, and in, the latter case it will present the appearance of the ordinary keg, althoughv being much stronger, lighter, and practically indestructible. Its interior portion being of wood or like material, it can be heated and pitched or otherwise coated on its inside the same as any ordinary wooden keg may be. y

I have thus pointed out particularly the way in which I prefer to construct a lagerbeer keg having its inner portion of wood, and also being of the usual form; but the form or contour of the keg or barrel may-.be varied, as desired, as may also the number of metal pieces or sections which compose the outer part or covering, so long as the interior portion is completely covered and pro-l tected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is j 1. A metallic covering for a keg or barrel, stamped up in parts, adapted to be placed over such keg or barrel, and joined or united together, whereby such covering is made to conform to the contour of the keg or barrel and completely inclose and protect the same, substantially as described.

2. A keg or barrel the inner part whereof is of wood or other suitable material, having upon its outer surface a covering of metal IOO IIO

stamped up or formed as described, and fitted and secured thereon, whereby such keg or barrel is strengthened, and also adapted to be pnt to the ordinary uses of a wooden keg or barrel, substantially as described.

3. A beer keg or barrel the inner part whereof is of Wood or other suitable material, over which is placed a metal covering having holes therein corresponding to and forming with holes in the Wood or inner part open- [o ings adapted to receive bushings, substantially as described.

GEORGE H. GILLETTE. Vitnesses:

KING C. GILLETTE, WM. H. MILES. 

